Disabled people with mobility issues on sand will have the opportunity to get to the Mount's waterline this summer thanks to a beach wheelchair.
The free-to-use adjustable wheelchair is one of five being donated to regions around the country by the Flightcentre Foundation in an effort to see disabled people hit the beach more often.
Volunteers Scott Jones and Gareth Yates with surfer Janette Barclay on the new chair. Photo: Tracy Hardy.
The move to provide beach wheelchairs came out of a Halberg Disability Surf Day at Mount Maunganui on December 13.
The inaugural event, which saw around 15 physically disabled people have a chance to surf, was hosted by the Halberg Disability Sport Foundation as part of the Flight Centre Foundation Halberg Surf Programme.
At the event one adjustable beach wheelchair was donated to the area for use at Mount Main Beach.
Halberg disability sport adviser Cherryl Thompson says the wheelchair will be held by Hibiscus Surf School for disabled people to use to get onto the beach or into the water.
'This equipment will enable wheelchair users to be able to traverse beaches and roll straight into the water.
'So over the summer it'll be down on the beach with Hibiscus Surf School – so anyone going to the Mount who can't get down from the sand dunes to the shoreline can use this chair,” says Cherryl.
Feedback from the surf days is very positive, with Cherryl saying some participants now want to join surf clubs.
'And this is what it's all about – we're trying to empower the community to assist disabled people to get out and do what everybody else does.”
'So our next job is trying to set up clubs by training and resourcing, and inviting people to come and try it.
'From that a couple of kids will want to take up surfing – even if it's just for recreation.”
Cherryl says the surf days and beach wheelchairs also show parents 'what they're able to do with their disabled family member”.
The Mount's adjustable beach wheelchair will be on offer all summer.
'Anybody with a disability can go to the beach and use it – it doesn't matter how young or old you are or what disability you have,” says Cherryl.
2 comments
Specifics?
Posted on 30-12-2014 17:33 | By SML
Can someone be more specific about where (closest street? is there a disability park close?) this chair is accessible? I have no idea where the :Hibiscus Surf School" is situated, had no news of the disability day on December 13, and haven't been able to access the surf for over 10 years since being in a chair. People assume the people who would LOVE to make use of these assets know where they are - well, I don't, and nor do many I've spoken to, either! So, there may be a "feel-good" factor for the providors - there's a lot of perhaps more mature people in the Tauranga-GatePa-Greerton area who have no idea they are available, or how to get to them, which is "feel bad" and "feel blardy frustrated" for them... Had the organisers considered this? (One very frustrated wanna-be-free in the waves again wheelchair user)
Specifics
Posted on 22-01-2015 11:56 | By DSA
Hi SML, We are a provider of Have-a-Go surfing events called the DSA. We are not linked to Halberg but do have an event on the 14/02/2015 if you would like to come down and get in the ocean in a safe yet fun environment. follow us on facebook - Disabled Surfers New Zealand or www.disabledsurfers.co.nz. We would love to spread this to all ages so if you know any groups that may be interested please let us know! We can get you in the water! Many thanks, Chris
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